Insulated concrete panels are used throughout the construction industry and formed with an insulation layer sandwiched between an upper layer and bottom layer of concrete. In order to integrate the insulation layer with the upper and lower concrete layers, connectors (also known as “ties”) can be implemented to form an insulated concrete panel. The connectors can integrate the upper layer of concrete with the lower layer of concrete through the insulation layer. As such, the connector(s) hold the insulated concrete panel(s) together while also providing a mechanism through which loads can be transferred between concrete layers.
Concrete ties for use within insulated concrete panels are known and used throughout the construction industry, but often require a large number of ties installed within the insulation layer at an individual job site, and thus become unwieldly and undesirable during use. In addition, many concrete ties are disposed through holes formed in the insulation layer, such as for example, the concrete ties described in US Publication Nos. 2004/0118067 and 2006/0032166. The holes are generally formed larger than the concrete tie itself to provide room for manipulation of the concrete tie and installation into a final position. The concrete ties presently used in the art can be used with insulation panels having a range of thicknesses, but must be reconfigured and/or redesigned to accommodate insulation panels exceeding the range of thickness.
Concrete ties can also be deployable between an uninstalled position allowing at least a portion of the concrete tie to pass through the hole and an installed position expanding the profile of the concrete tie and maximizing engagement with the concrete layer. The concrete ties can implement a retention housing, dam, two-piece mechanism, or other ancillary pieces to complete installation and secure the concrete tie within a hole of the insulation panel of the insulated concrete panel.
Specifically, Composite Technologies Corporation (“Thermomass”) manufactures pin connectors for use in non-load transfer applications and concrete ties for load transfer applications. The load transfer concrete ties require holes to be formed within the insulation layer allowing portions of the concrete tie to be installed therethrough and extend beyond the insulation panel, and the concrete tie must installed at the job site during construction of the insulated concrete panel. The known concrete ties require extensive pre-processing of the insulation layer and labor intensive installation of the concrete tie at the construction site.
Therefore, it would be desirable for a wall tie to have a unique structure that ensures efficient and accurate placement on an insulation layer without requiring laborious installation. In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a novel wall tie structure that forms a firmer and more secure bond to concrete and a strong connection between wythes, yet retains enough flexibility to not fail or break the concrete after installation. Moreover, it would be desirable to have an insulation layer for use with a concrete tie that requires minimal processing to accommodate and couple with the concrete tie, thereby ensuring efficient and accurate placement of the device.